A good time to re-explore old gear

Since I am unable to participate in my usual activities (polital action groups, various Veterans groups, various social action groups), I get to spend more time in my studio. At the moment I am having a blast re-discovering some of my old boards and modules. My favorite at the moment is my Motif ES module driven by my Roland A70 controller. The A70 continues to be my favorite controller (76 keys) with far and away the best keybed and amazing flexibility considering it's age (4 separate midi outs (5 pin din), each with multiple zones and almost unlimited programmability. The other three are routed to a voice processor/harmonizer, a SonicCell, and a older Korg module (forget the model). The Motif ES is especially responsive to the A70 and reminds me of all the fantastic sounds in that module; same with the Korg module.

I know that a lot of you have older boards and modules that you no longer or rarely use. You should go back and listen to them again. You may be pleasantly suprised, especially at the 'fullness' (richness??) of some of the voices. As long as you're using them in the studio, they're just another arrow in the quiver. It's like seeing your wife or girlfriend again after a six-month absence.

I noticed that some of you have elected to add older or prior-generation instruments to your arsenal (which gave me the incentive to go back and revisit some of the older gear in my studio). Now I'm inspired to put together some things using only my vintage gear (and maybe some 'live' drum tracks). It may not be an improvement over the more modern gear but it should still be a lot of fun.

chas

Chas, you are on the mark(No pun) again..I love to revisit old gear that I use to use. One thing you mentioned I find true.. there is a fullness to some sounds that the new gear lacks. I always thought that analog circuits had something to do with this. I started to notice a thin sound within the Roland gear I have owned..Using the G1000 as my benchmark, I noticed a negative in the VA series, and really noticed in the BK5. They still sound good but not fat like the older stuff..One of the reasons I will not part with the G70..

The BK9 suffered a bit, thankfully it has 22 Supernatural sounds..The EA7 sounds great.. as long as it isn't side by side to the G70.

Chas you have some gear I wish I had.. Starting with the A70 (same keys as the G70). I had a Sonic Cell (I liked the sounds,Roland never continued support for it). I now have my old Roland Prelude back (Sonic Cell based).
Of current gear I am convinced the Integra7 is the best sound module ever.. I think any studio worth calling a studio should havean Integra7 as the center piece.

Well it's been a week in lock up... I mean shut in.... So far I have refrained from buying any new gear, came close a few times

Chas if you ever feel like donating the A70 "to me", my kids will pay the shipping (they take after their mother)

FAT, yes Fran, that's the word I was searching for when I said 'full' or 'rich', and yes, I DO think it was the analog circuitry (would like to hear from Bill 'Abacus' about that). Sorry, I won't part with the A70 until they pry it from my cold, dead fingers (I know some folks can't wait for that ). I only had the G800 and G1000, but I remember them as also having a great keybed, along with the DX7 (I still have a rack of tx16's or whatever that DX7 module was, but it's stashed away in a storeroom).

YOU have (or had) one of the two pieces of gear that I always wanted and intended to get, but never did; the Integra7 and the Kronos. I do have the last generation Fantom G7 but despite it's great Roland keybed and almost limitless programability, I never really warmed up to it.

BTW, your kids ("they take after their mother") got lucky .

chas

Talk about early....I'm doing a recording tonight with a 59 Wurlitzer piano (I bought it new, smart ass) played thru a 60's Ampeg flip-top amp (also bought new).

First time I heard "What'd I Say", I had to have one.

Last week, I did a job with a 1953 ES 295 (the Scotty Moore guitar) thru my 59 Fender Bassman.

For the right gig, old stuff is COOL! Like older women. I mean, country ham is wrinkled and a little ripe, but people dig the hell out of it.


Same thing!

Russ (burp) Lay

Not quite. I can handle a few wrinkles but if they're 'ripe'......uh, I don't know.



chas

First off has anyone looked in the mirror?

second I can see revisiting old gear but that could also become a depressive trigger of soughts too in many ways...
reliving the past can be good & bad.

That said,...... I am glad I weened myself off the hoarding Old gear
addiction from my room and moved on with a clear mind.

There are a few exceptions to this but not many...

just my opinion...

The arranger keyboard is used (And built) primarily to replicate the past (How much modern music do you ever hear played on them) not the future, and I have not seen any problems with the players getting depressed by the old content and operation of the arranger keyboard.

Bill

Bill not only arrangers but OLD GEAR in general...
have you ever played on stage for years for a living and now its gone?....and you look at the walls of old gear laying around just dreaming of the past?.....it can certainly depress you mentally..

Yes, but I think it totally depends on the outlook of the individual ... I look at it like " wow, was I ever fortunate to have lived that life with many really good musicians" ... Far more people have never experienced that ...

Tony and that fact could lead to depression also...
not experiencing it as a live player.

ANYTHING can lead to depression if we allow it to ...
I worked with a guy who used to say "There are people who would complain about a paid holiday" ... life is largely what you make it ...

Yeah, and I think we're witnessing that right now. Put up a post about the pleasure of re-discovering some of the things that excited you in the past and SOMEHOW, SOMEONE will find a way to turn it into something negative. Maybe not posting 200 times a day might leave enough time to enjoy some of the good things life has to offer. Just sayin'.

chas

Chas you should join with jerry in the forum police force ....
give me a break..I didn't know I had to think like you too..

Mine is simple, if I am not using it, out it goes -- to make room for the new whatever. I stayed with Technics a long time, they always gave me something to look forward to. I ordered the new model before they were ready to start shipping.

Depression, naw, now that I have learned that I can be in control of what I think. A troubled man, lost his wife, legs not feeling great, keyboard stopped working, both his mother and father were gone, this guy has a right to be depressed. But wait, the mail comes and won a rather large Lotto sum. Depression just went out the window. His view just changed; he became happy.

Hmmm, when I lost my wife in 1994, I was depressed, big time. After two weeks I decided this had to end. I printed 6 sheets with my blessings on them:
my children were healthy
living well
had enough money
house was paid off
I was feeling good, and my friends were all over me.

I put a sheet in all my rooms. The bathroom had a sheet right in front of me when I was sitting.

Just saying, again, John C.